1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to games involving playing cards, and more particularly, wagering games played on casino-operated tables and via electronic game terminals combining elements of the traditional games of Poker and War.
2. Related Art
Poker and War are both popular card games which are usually played separately. Most casinos already offer these two games or variations thereof in electronic format and/or as live table games.
War is commonly played by dealing a single card to two respective hands, such as a player and a dealer hand, and then comparing the rank of the single card in each hand. The winner is the hand with the highest ranked card. Ties spawn multi-card challenges. Poker is probably the most well-known game in the United States and has many different variations. Some variations may be played with a total of five cards in a hand. Typically, after all cards are revealed, the player with the highest ranked Poker hand is the winner.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,580 to Scibetta teaches a variety of card games based on War. In one embodiment, each player is dealt five cards. The dealer receives one card. War is played with each player card being compared to the dealer card so that five separate games of War are played for each player. Then, the five player cards are compared to a Poker ranked table for a possible bonus win.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,148 to Saruwatari teaches a game in which six player positions are dealt one card each and a dealer is dealt one card. The six player cards are dealt whether or not a person is playing that position. Each player resolves a first War game against the dealer by comparing their one dealt card to the dealer card. Following the game of War, all six player cards, together with the dealer card, are considered community cards for purposes of resolving a second wager in which the rules of Poker are applied. All of the players either win or lose as a group.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,041 to Boylan et al. discloses a War-like card game with a suggested Poker variation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,643 to Awada teaches a multi-player game in which a first card dealt to each player and a dealer are used to resolve a game of War, followed by additional cards dealt to each player to resolve a second wager based on the rules of Blackjack. The collection of dealt cards to each player are assessed for a Poker hand, from which a third and final wager is resolved.
The preceding examples of card games propose methods of play in which some combination of War and Poker are played. However, none of these games effectively utilize a set of community cards from which the players and dealer alike fashion a Poker hand. The use of community cards in some card games, like Texas Hold'Em Poker for example, has added a social element to some card games, and has been found to increase the joy and excitement of certain card games. Casinos are continually seeking ways in which they can increase their gaming revenue. Thus, there is a compelling interest in creating new games that are likely to increase player participation and wagering. Poker and War are two games with a proven record of success. What is needed is a unique combination of these traditional card games together with the addition of some of the appealing features of community cards and structured in ways to generate immediate, favorable interest amongst players.